By Dr. Tawny Mata, Director of CDFA’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability
I am excited to announce that our office has a new name: The Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS). Along with the name change, we have introduced a new, unified logo that symbolizes our shared mission across all of our programs. Over the next few months, you will notice updates to our communications that incorporate the new name and logo. We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
The decision to rebrand is rooted in the evolution of CDFA’s relationship to sustainable farming over the last 30 years. Our original name, “The Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI),” stemmed from the Canella Environmental Farming Act of 1995. The Cannella Act laid the groundwork for our incentive programs and codified the Department’s commitment to advancing sustainability through science. Today our programs not only support a healthy environment – marked by clean water, fresh air, and thriving biodiversity — but also the social and economic health of California’s farms and ranches. Looking forward, we recognize the need to build resilience for the challenges ahead, from extreme weather to regulatory changes. We must develop research, demonstration, and incentive grant programs to help agricultural stakeholders adapt and thrive. This new name better reflects our mission and vision.
We look forward to continuing to work with you and are grateful for your continued support. I encourage you to keep in touch with us, through formal venues like our Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel, but also by connecting directly with me and my staff. Your insight makes us better.
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